Spartan Motors, Inc.: Latches/Locks/Linkages › Doors › Latch
Spartan Motors, Inc. reported this defect to federal regulators on Apr 24, 1998 and put the number of vehicles at risk at 477. The repair is free for as long as the recall stands.
The defect
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: FIRE TRUCKS WITH OCCUPANT SIDE ENTRY DOORS. A DIFFICULTY IN LATCHING THE SIDE ENTRY DOORS TO THE FULL CLOSED POSITION, AND/OR, THE DOORS MAY RELEASE TO THE SECONDARY LATCH POSITION. ALSO LOOSE RIVETS CAN CAUSE THE LATCH CONTROL MECHANISM TO BIND NOT ALLOWING THE DOOR TO LATCH PROPERLY WHEN SHUT.
The risk
THE CAB DOOR COULD UNLATCH FROM ITS PRIMARY LATCH WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION, ALLOWING THE DOOR TO OPEN UNASSISTED TO THE SECONDARY LATCH POSITION.
The remedy
DEALERS WILL REMOVE AND REPLACE THE LATCH AND ACTUATOR ON THE DOORS.
16 model years covered
Newest first| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Fires | Crashes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 Spartan Advantage | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1997 Spartan Baron | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1997 Spartan Charger | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1997 Spartan Diamond | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1997 Spartan Gladiator | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 1997 Spartan Low Profile Gladiator | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1997 Spartan Metrostar | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 1997 Spartan Silent Night | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1996 Spartan Advantage | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1996 Spartan Baron | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1996 Spartan Charger | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1996 Spartan Diamond | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1996 Spartan Gladiator | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 1996 Spartan Low Profile Gladiator | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1996 Spartan Metrostar | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 1996 Spartan Silent Night | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What this page is, and what to do next
A recall is not an opinion. It is a Part 573 report a manufacturer is required by federal law to file once it decides a defect poses an unreasonable risk to safety, and it commits them to repairing the vehicle at no cost to the owner. The three passages above are the manufacturer’s own wording as published by NHTSA.
This page describes the campaign. It cannot tell you whether one particular car has already been through the shop — that is tracked by VIN, and only the manufacturer knows it. Check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with a franchised dealer, quoting campaign number 98V077000.
Full record for the 1997 Spartan Advantage → · Recalls carrying a do-not-drive advisory → · Where this data comes from →